Book of Common Prayer
61 To the Overseer, on stringed instruments. -- By David. Hear, O God, my loud cry, attend to my prayer.
2 From the end of the land unto Thee I call, In the feebleness of my heart, Into a rock higher than I Thou dost lead me.
3 For Thou hast been a refuge for me, A tower of strength because of the enemy.
4 I sojourn in Thy tent to the ages, I trust in the secret place of Thy wings. Selah.
5 For Thou, O God, hast hearkened to my vows, Thou hast appointed the inheritance Of those fearing Thy name.
6 Days to the days of the king Thou addest, His years as generation and generation.
7 He dwelleth to the age before God, Kindness and truth appoint -- they keep him.
8 So do I praise Thy name for ever, When I pay my vows day by day!
62 To the Overseer, for Jeduthun. -- A Psalm of David. Only -- toward God [is] my soul silent, From Him [is] my salvation.
2 Only -- He [is] my rock, and my salvation, My tower, I am not much moved.
3 Till when do ye devise mischief against a man? Ye are destroyed all of you, As a wall inclined, a hedge that is cast down.
4 Only -- from his excellency They have consulted to drive away, They enjoy a lie, with their mouth they bless, And with their heart revile. Selah.
5 Only -- for God, be silent, O my soul, For from Him [is] my hope.
6 Only -- He [is] my rock and my salvation, My tower, I am not moved.
7 On God [is] my salvation, and my honour, The rock of my strength, my refuge [is] in God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, O people, Pour forth before Him your heart, God [is] a refuge for us. Selah.
9 Only -- vanity [are] the low, a lie the high. In balances to go up they than vanity [are] lighter.
10 Trust not in oppression, And in robbery become not vain, Wealth -- when it increaseth -- set not the heart.
11 Once hath God spoken, twice I heard this, That `strength [is] with God.'
12 And with Thee, O Lord, [is] kindness, For Thou dost recompense to each, According to his work!
68 To the Overseer. -- A Psalm, a song of David. Rise doth God -- scattered are His enemies! And those hating Him flee from His face.
2 As the driving away of smoke Thou drivest away, As the melting of wax before fire, The wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 And the righteous rejoice, they exult before God, And they joy with gladness.
4 Sing ye to God -- praise His name, Raise up a highway for Him who is riding in deserts, In Jah [is] His name, and exult before Him.
5 Father of the fatherless, and judge of the widows, [Is] God in His holy habitation.
6 God -- causing the lonely to dwell at home, Bringing out bound ones into prosperity, Only -- the refractory have inhabited a dry place.
7 O God, in Thy going forth before Thy people, In Thy stepping through the wilderness, Selah.
8 The earth hath shaken, Yea, the heavens have dropped before God, This Sinai -- before God, the God of Israel.
9 A shower of free-will gifts thou shakest out, O God. Thine inheritance, when it hath been weary, Thou hast established it.
10 Thy company have dwelt in it, Thou preparest in Thy goodness for the poor, O God.
11 The Lord doth give the saying, The female proclaimers [are] a numerous host.
12 Kings of hosts flee utterly away, And a female inhabitant of the house apportioneth spoil.
13 Though ye do lie between two boundaries, Wings of a dove covered with silver, And her pinions with yellow gold.
14 When the Mighty spreadeth kings in it, It doth snow in Salmon.
15 A hill of God [is] the hill of Bashan, A hill of heights [is] the hill of Bashan.
16 Why do ye envy, O high hills, The hill God hath desired for His seat? Jehovah also doth tabernacle for ever.
17 The chariots of God [are] myriads, thousands of changes, The Lord [is] among them, in Sinai, in the sanctuary.
18 Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast taken captive captivity, Thou hast taken gifts for men, That even the refractory may rest, O Jah God.
19 Blessed [is] the Lord, day by day He layeth on us. God Himself [is] our salvation. Selah.
20 God Himself [is] to us a God for deliverances, And Jehovah Lord hath the outgoings of death.
21 Only -- God doth smite The head of His enemies, The hairy crown of a habitual walker in his guilt.
22 The Lord said: `From Bashan I bring back, I bring back from the depths of the sea.
23 So that thou dashest thy foot in blood, [In the blood of] enemies -- the tongue of Thy dogs.'
24 They have seen Thy goings, O God, Goings of my God, my king, in the sanctuary.
25 Singers have been before, Behind [are] players on instruments, In the midst virgins playing with timbrels.
26 In assemblies bless ye God, The Lord -- from the fountain of Israel.
27 There [is] little Benjamin their ruler, Heads of Judah their defence, Heads of Zebulun -- heads of Naphtali.
28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength, Be strong, O God, this Thou hast wrought for us.
29 Because of Thy temple at Jerusalem, To Thee do kings bring a present.
30 Rebuke a beast of the reeds, a company of bulls, With calves of the peoples, Each humbling himself with pieces of silver, Scatter Thou peoples delighting in conflicts.
31 Come do fat ones out of Egypt, Cush causeth her hands to run to God.
32 Kingdoms of the earth, sing ye to God, Praise ye the Lord. Selah.
33 To him who is riding on the heavens of the heavens of old, Lo, He giveth with His voice a strong voice.
34 Ascribe ye strength to God, Over Israel [is] His excellency, and His strength in the clouds.
35 Fearful, O God, out of Thy sanctuaries, The God of Israel Himself, Giving strength and might to the people. Blessed [is] God!
12 I call upon you, therefore, brethren, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies a sacrifice -- living, sanctified, acceptable to God -- your intelligent service;
2 and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what [is] the will of God -- the good, and acceptable, and perfect.
3 For I say, through the grace that was given to me, to every one who is among you, not to think above what it behoveth to think; but to think so as to think wisely, as to each God did deal a measure of faith,
4 for as in one body we have many members, and all the members have not the same office,
5 so we, the many, one body are in Christ, and members each one of one another.
6 And having gifts, different according to the grace that was given to us; whether prophecy -- `According to the proportion of faith!'
7 or ministration -- `In the ministration!' or he who is teaching -- `In the teaching!'
8 or he who is exhorting -- `In the exhortation!' he who is sharing -- `In simplicity!' he who is leading -- `In diligence?' he who is doing kindness -- `In cheerfulness.'
9 The love unfeigned: abhorring the evil; cleaving to the good;
10 in the love of brethren, to one another kindly affectioned: in the honour going before one another;
11 in the diligence not slothful; in the spirit fervent; the Lord serving;
12 in the hope rejoicing; in the tribulation enduring; in the prayer persevering;
13 to the necessities of the saints communicating; the hospitality pursuing.
14 Bless those persecuting you; bless, and curse not;
15 to rejoice with the rejoicing, and to weep with the weeping,
16 of the same mind one toward another, not minding the high things, but with the lowly going along; become not wise in your own conceit;
17 giving back to no one evil for evil; providing right things before all men.
18 If possible -- so far as in you -- with all men being in peace;
19 not avenging yourselves, beloved, but give place to the wrath, for it hath been written, `Vengeance [is] Mine,
20 I will recompense again, saith the Lord;' if, then, thine enemy doth hunger, feed him; if he doth thirst, give him drink; for this doing, coals of fire thou shalt heap upon his head;
21 Be not overcome by the evil, but overcome, in the good, the evil.
8 And it came to pass thereafter, that he was going through every city and village, preaching and proclaiming good news of the reign of God, and the twelve [are] with him,
2 and certain women, who were healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary who is called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone forth,
3 and Joanna wife of Chuza, steward of Herod, and Susanna, and many others, who were ministering to him from their substance.
4 And a great multitude having gathered, and those who from city and city were coming unto him, he spake by a simile:
5 `The sower went forth to sow his seed, and in his sowing some indeed fell beside the way, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the heaven did devour it.
6 `And other fell upon the rock, and having sprung up, it did wither, through not having moisture.
7 `And other fell amidst the thorns, and the thorns having sprung up with it, did choke it.
8 `And other fell upon the good ground, and having sprung up, it made fruit an hundred fold.' These things saying, he was calling, `He having ears to hear -- let him hear.'
9 And his disciples were questioning him, saying, `What may this simile be?'
10 And he said, `To you it hath been given to know the secrets of the reign of God, and to the rest in similes; that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.
11 `And this is the simile: The seed is the word of God,
12 and those beside the way are those hearing, then cometh the Devil, and taketh up the word from their heart, lest having believed, they may be saved.
13 `And those upon the rock: They who, when they may hear, with joy do receive the word, and these have no root, who for a time believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
14 `And that which fell to the thorns: These are they who have heard, and going forth, through anxieties, and riches, and pleasures of life, are choked, and bear not to completion.
15 `And that in the good ground: These are they, who in an upright and good heart, having heard the word, do retain [it], and bear fruit in continuance.